FARMINGTON — The Farmington Historical Society will host a program on “The Railroad that Never Was,” a railroad from Farmington to New Sharon, on Monday, Aug. 8. The station, railroad beds and some bridges were built, but the rails were never laid due to lack of money. More than 100 years later, remnants of the line remain.

In the late 1890s, inventor and businessman Leonard Atwood of Farmington Falls had a dream. He pursued the idea of building a railroad from Farmington to New Sharon that would ultimately connect to the Waterville and Wiscasset railroad.

The lines were surveyed, the crossings approved and the line out of Farmington toward New Sharon started. Today, Allan Socea and Glenn Byron have located and walked the line between Farmington and New Sharon and have photographed the remnants. They have studied the cuts and grades, walking through the underbrush to find the actual location of the line.

Socea’s interest in the history of the Franklin Somerset & Franklin (FS&F) line comes from his nearly life-long affiliation with railroads in Maine. He was employed by the Belfast & Moosehead RR from the early 1980s until his retirement in 2008.

Socea has worked at the state level to preserve Maine rail lines, including narrow gauge lines. He has contributed to several books on railroads and has written articles for several publications about railroads. Socea has also worked with Bob Jones as well as Jerry Devos on books documenting narrow gauge railroads, including the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes RR. Socea also assists the Phillips Historical Society in preserving its collection.

Glenn Byron, formerly of Wilton and Glenn’s Vintage Tin, has had a life-long interest in steam engines, and he volunteers at the Stanley Museum in Kingfield. His interest in steam power has expanded to railroads. Byron has spent much time researching the FS&K railroad and its connection to the coast via the Waterville & Wiscasset RR.

Farmington Historical Society’s program will begin with a potluck supper at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7 in the basement of Henderson Memorial Baptist Church, Academy Street. For more information, contact 778-4275.